Let me start by announcing that the members of the Burtanog Family
are safely evacuated from New Orleans. I am encouraging that we make a special
contribution to the Burtanog Sisters by sending your contribution to Rhonda Fox
6th generation of the Madriaga Family. The family now on its way to
the 9th generation.:

"When Hurricane Katrina hits New Orleans on Monday(Aug 29,
2005)it could turn one of America's
most charming cities into a vast cesspool tainted with toxic chemicals, human
waste and even coffins released by floodwaters from the city's legendary cemeteries." (as reported by AP)

Just a few years ago I became friends with Rhonda Burtanog Fox. She is part of
a 6th generation Filipino-American family of Madriaga/Burtanog, now going
beyond 8 generations. She is becoming the family spokeswoman,
articulate in her own honest way. Quietly assuming her
responsibility of her family's genealogy, she went beyond oral research. She
researched census records, newspapers, and library documents to back up her
pedigree. We exchanged information and as an old student of Filipino-American
history, I learned a lot from Rhonda.

Her family started with Felipe Madrigal as I know but was never sure. Around
1850. Felipe was working onboard steamship that brought immigrants across the Atlantic. On one of these voyages he met a young
Irish girl on her way to New Orleans. Felipe won Bridget Nugent heart as the
rest of her family continued north.This
is the genesis of the first Filipino American Love Story.A few claimed it should be
"Madriaga" and Rhonda just re-affirmed that it was indeed
Madriaga.New Orleans' legendary
cemeteries are large mausoleums high above the ground as all New Orleans is situated below sea level. Like most New Orleans families, the Madriaga/Burtanog family
purchased the lot at the St VincentCemetery with the high rise. It is where most of
their direct descendants are entombed in small cathedral elevated foundation
just like Badjao housing. Felipe and Bridgett were buried earlier in the nearby
fishing village. The descendants of Madriaga are mostly shrine at the St VincentCemetery in New Orleans that the family bought. Felipe and
Bridget however were buried in the nearby fishing parish.The exact dates are not known as some
remembered a big storm flooded the area and washed the coffin to the river and
to sea.

Rhonda found the names of Felipe and
Bridget listed on the 1860 census. She also provided me with the Madrigal
family picture taken about 1890.

"Experts have warned for years that the levees and pumps that
usually keep New Orleans dry have no chance against a direct hit
by a Category 5 storm. It has been 40 years since New Orleans faced a hurricane even comparable to
Katrina. In 1965, Hurricane Betsy, a
Category 3 storm, submerged some parts of the city to a depth of seven
feet.

Since then, the Big Easy has had nothing but near misses. In 1998, Hurricane
Georges headed straight for New Orleans, and then swerved at the last minute to
strike Mississippi and Alabama. Hurricane Lily blew herself out at the
mouth of the Mississippi in 2002. And last year's Hurricane Ivan
obligingly curved to the east as it came ashore, barely grazing a grateful
city." (AP news)

I remember the names of all these Hurricanes but none better than Betsy that destroyed the Filipino
historical site south of New Orleans, the ManilaVillage. 100 years ago Filipino-Americans, led
by Bikolano Quintin DelaCruz, established Manila Village, thriving on the bounty of the
sea. My friend Isabel Gedora Welch told me what happened. It was a way of
seasonal life sometimes harsh as the element around. Even the best of the
harvest required school kids being pulled early from school to help in this
livelihood.

Well, it was blown away in 1965 by a devastating hurricane called "Betsy." She recalls her
older sister going back to the village just days after and found that even
animal left were unable to survive the wrath of the sea. The Gedora
sisters went on and became great school teachers in New Orleans. “Betsy” became the standard mold of
engineering flood management in New Orleans.

Mrs Marina Espina went to look for ManilaVillage in 1976, but all that was left standing
were pilings and one camp. Now there are only pilings left.

By doing this project and researching the background of ManilaVillage, I have learned that because of the
destruction of this shrimping village, many Filipinos had to turn to deep-sea
shrimping, freezing shrimp or to other occupations. Shrimp drying has become a
commercial endeavor. Tidal waves and strong winds may have swallowed the whole
settlement; however, the waters could not wash away the rich tradition of the
early Filipino settlers. The descendants of the people of ManilaVillage are proud of their heritage and their
forefathers, who made outstanding contributions to the history and economy of
the State of Louisiana.

Today, the area is still the primary source of shrimp in the American
continent. The discovery of offshore oil has brought another boom industry in
the GulfCoast. Katrina has stopped oil
production by 1 million barrels a day that will be felt immediately here in the
northeast, long before Katrina's weather residue arrives.

Experts have warned about New Orleans' vulnerability for years, chiefly
because Louisiana has lost more than a million acres of
coastal wetlands in the past seven decades. The vast patchwork of swamps and
bayous south of the city serves as a buffer, partially absorbing the surge of
water that a hurricane pushes ashore.

He puts much of the blame for New Orleans' dire situation on the very levee system that is designed to
protect southern Louisiana from Mississippi River floods.

Before the levees were built, the river would top its banks during
floods and wash through a maze of bayous and swamps, dropping fine-grained silt
that nourished plants and kept the land just above sea level.

The levees "have literally starved our wetlands to death" by
directing all of that precious silt out into the Gulf of Mexico, van Heerden said. (From various news sources)

Manila Village should not be confused with the Fil-am settlement of 13 houses
in Saint Malo that existed might be existed earlier than when Felipe Madriaga
was sailing the Atlantic Ocean. Saint Malo is located few miles
south east of New Orleans and east of ManilaVillage. These Badjao houses were
also blown away by hurricane circa 1895. The bayous serve as BarrierIsland for hurricane and the frequency of big
hurricanes it was becoming harder to resettlement even for Filipinos who might
have seen harsher life. The only man made construction now in Saint
Malo are the cables passing underneath that serve the offshore oil platform
to the mainland.

The presence of Filipino immigrants in New Orleans however came earlier than this recent
historical hurricane that we know. It is said a Filipino fought in
the war of 1812 in the bayous against the mighty British Navy. I
have been chasing this almost legendary sailor since I could remember. His name
was Agustin mentioned by Yatar in his letter to the Filipino Mail in WashingtonDC in 1906 about the 2000 Filipino
community in New Orleans.

From the archives of the Filipino American Experience Research Project, Asian
American Studies, San FranciscoStateUniversity comes this piece of history that
identifies the "GRAND OLD FILIPINO" of the U.S. Navy.

The Filipino Student Bulletin, March 1906 (Washington,
D.C.)

"We received a subscription from a Filipino living in New Orleans, and as
we did not know there were any Filipinos in the southern part of this country,
we were very much surprised, and wrote to him, asking that he send us some
details concerning himself and any other Filipinos that there might be in his
neighborhood. The Filipino whom we addressed was Mr. Eulogio Yatar, and he sent
us some most astonishing news; in fact, we feel almost as the ethnologist does
who discovers a new race of people, for we find that there is a colony of 2,000
Filipinos in that Queen City of the South. This community has been established
for about a hundred years, the first one who landed there being a Bikol by the
name of Augustin Feliciano, who later served in the American navy in the war of
1812. ... Other Filipino seamen came, and finding the surroundings agreeable,
remained there, and built up this large community. Although the greater part of
these Louisiana Filipinos were born in this country, yet
many of them are natives of the is-lands, and nearly all Visayans. They speak
Tagalog and Spanish, as well as English."

This Eulogio Yatar was born in Capiz on Dec 7, 1877 but turned out in the Madriaga/Burtanog
family genealogy line. He married Rhonda's Great-Aunt, Othelia and suddenly the
War of 1812 overture sounded remotely but intimately closer. I am still
listening.

Just to share another Rhonda story before
Katrina...

Tropical Storm Cindy blew through here last night and I didn't get
to sleep until 5:00 a.m. when the wind and rain finally died
down. It was pretty scary! My mantra to stay calm was,
"My ancestors survived worse than this!", and it actually
helped. I was reminded of my grandma Rosie (Borabod-Martinez)
telling me about her husband surviving a hurricane after his shrimp boat fell
to pieces. He tied his crewman and himself to the mast with a rope,
and then broke off the doors to the cabin. He gave one to the
crewman, and told him to cut himself loose when the boat went down and hang
onto the door. As the boat began to break up, Benito cut his rope,
but the crewman refused. Benito jumped overboard as the boat went
down. He survived for days floating in the bay until he was
rescued. When he was found, his face was swollen beyond recognition
from the mosquito and sand fly bites.

<<Grandma
Rosie
The Madriaga/Burtanog family lived in the Marigny
section of New Orleans just few blocks from the Rampart (levee) street and the French Quarter.The children rode the streetcar named Desire
while the Manila village kids rowed around the water in
pirogue. A youngWalter N Burtanog III
from New
Orleans e-mailed me few months ago when I wrote about the Burtanog. From
my other research of Filipinos coming through Ellis Island I found the first Walter N Burtanog. In
1921 he was a crewmember of the ship SS Halfway that brought new immigrants to
New York/Ellis Island.

I referred a 100
years old family group picture from Fred Cordova’s book “Forgotten American”
with Rhonda.Rhonda to identify the people
in the picture. Her great mom, Lillian and some of the people I mentioned are
noted. In the picture were 3 generations of Filipino-American taken before the
Asiatic Fleet of Dewey made the historic landfall in Manila.

Sorry for the
long indulgence but I promised myself to tell this part of the Filipino
Americana experience of my time every time historical hurricane comes around. I
felt very lucky for not only knowing Rhonda Burtanog Fox and Isabel Gedora
Welch and being able to share our early pioneering experience. As we watch the
tragedy unfolding in the GulfCoast let us pray for their safety, the Fil-Am
community of New Orleans, and all the aftermath victims. We will hear several more
human survival stories from here as hurricane comes and go in New Orleans. Hurricane spin out of the Atlantic towards the south east of the United States as it gathers speed from the warmer
ocean surface, once trapped in the Gulf Stream its favorite landfall is New Orleans. It is natural course that can’t be
changed but what’s amazing is when the Pinoys from the Pacific started making
landfalls in the Bayous almost two centuries ago. It is halfway around the
world and in the other side (you have to remember the Panama Canal is only about 100 years old) It must be
in that temper culture and engrained seafaring blood among us.

Hurricane spin
out of the Atlantic towards the south east of the United States as it gathers speed from the warmer
ocean surface, once trapped in the Gulf Stream its favorite landfall is New Orleans. It is natural course that can’t be
changed but what’s amazing is when the Pinoys from the Pacific started making
landfalls in the Bayous almost two centuries ago. It is halfway around the
world and on the other side.It must be
in that temper culture and engrained seafaring blood among us. . I wrote about
the legendary cemetery of New Orleans last week. The tombs are like
skyscrapers above the water marks of New Orleans are just few of the tourist attractions.

Even the first
settlement in St Malo was blown away by hurricane around 1895 or the recorded
hurricane in 1915.. FR mentioned Lafcadio Hearn who first wrote about St Malo
(March 31, 1883 issue of the Harpers Weekly). I bought the original copies of
this issue for my collection and plan in donating a couple to FANHS or maybe
use it for auction in Hawaii

Lafcadio Hearn
interaction with the Manila men inspired him to write another novel “Chita” It is about a lost island like and his
stylistic description of hurricane almost fit the mold of Saint Malo.He put color and aroma in the words of his
writing and added few Pinoy words like “maganda dalaga” A disastrous
hurricane and tidal wave killed more than 200 vacationers in Louisiana
on 1856. The “LastIsland”
tragedy is described by historian using Lafcadio Hearn's novel, Chita.
I think Hearn was inspired by both events.

that
the Voice of the Sea is never one voice, but a tumult of many voices--voices of
drowned men,--the muttering of multitudinousdead,--the moaning of innumerable ghosts,
all rising, to rage against the living, at the great Witch call of storms....... So the hurricane passed,--tearing off the heads of the prodigious
waves, to hurl them a hundred feet in air,--heaping up the ocean against the
land,--upturning the woods. Bays and passes were swollen to abysses; rivers
regorged; the sea-marshes were changed to raging wastes of water. Before New Orleans the flood of the mile-broad Mississippi rose six feet above highest
water-mark. One hundred and ten miles away, Donaldsonville trembled at the
towering tide of the Lafourche. Lakes strove to burst their boundaries. Far-off
river steamers tugged wildly at their cables,--shivering like tethered
creatures that hear by

I haven't heard any news from my friends Rhonda, Isabel and the former

FANHS president Marina Espina."Where y'at?" It is New Orleans lingo

for "Kamusta?" How are you? Safely above water, I hope. Maybe in the attic

of her Filipino American archives

Letters
from Rhonda and her friends,

Nestor, we survived
and have all met up at the Jimmie Davis State Park in Chatham, La. which
my brother and sister found by "accident", but as you know, there are
no accidents. The town is filled with angels. The road to life has many
turns, but God gives good directions! I'll keep in touch as much as I can.
Have to answer more worried e-mails. Thanks for being a friend! Rhonda

Hello,

Many of you know of the Burtanog
sisters of St. Bernard Parish, Lousiana, who have helped
to keep alive the history of Filipino Americans in New Orleans through their
stories, family archive, and warm welcome to researchers, journalists, and
filmmakers. The Burtanogs have helped to bring
forth the stories of the "Manila Men" who lived in the Louisiana bayou since
the 1700s--the last remnants of their early villages were destroyed by
Hurricane Betsy in 1965.

This is our chance to give back. The extended
famliy lives in St. Bernard Parish, which is to the
south and east of New Orleans, interlaced
with waterways and directly in the path of Hurricane Katrina. All
evacuated safely - in some cases through perilous rescues - but they have lost
everything. Lillian Mae BurtanogFaxon, Joyce BurtanogPascual and their families are now living in a camp at a
state park in Lousiana (Benita was able to evacuate
to her family in Houston; unfortunately eldest sister Audrey passed a few years
back). "We've lost all things material, but thank God we're all
alive, and together," says Rhonda Fox, Lillian Mae's daughter, who has
taken on the mantle of family historian.

We hope you will join us in showing our gratitude
and support for theextended Burtanog family
by sending whatever you can, even if it's just a few dollars. You can
send it to Lillian Mae or Rhonda at the addressbelow:

Award-winning documentary filmmaker Renee Tajima-Peña is a professor at USC (Santa Clara) She has directed and produced Asian American documentary
for Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) . One documentary is My America (...or Honk if You Love Buddha)
one segment is aboutTheBurtanog Sisters, an
eighth-generation Filipino American clan in New Orleans. She traveled in New Orleans to see the Burtanogs.

When Katrina was
about to hit New Orleans she e mailed me asking what I know about the Burtanog sister. She was concerned.

Nestor, yes the address is correct. I'm overwhelmed by the
outpouring of love and generosity from our Filipino friends.
Honestly, we're kind of in limbo right now. We're currently trying to
find out where we will live, find jobs, etc. We women, of course, have been
buying a few neccessities like cleaning products,
iron, ironing board, etc., but beyond that, we're kind of lost. We have
virtually nothing, no where to go, and are kind of dazed by it all. We are
trying to hold on to what cash we have for our eventual move. I found out that
today is my last payday, as the St. Bernard Schools will not reopen for at
least a year. I will let you know if there is anything specific anyone
needs, but it is so difficult for me to ask anything of anyone that I just
wouldn't know where to start with our needs. I'll be in touch again as
soon as possible. Thanks again for being such a friend. Rhonda

Nestor, we survived and have all met up at the Jimmie Davis
State Park in Chatham, La. which my brother and sister found by
"accident", but as you know, there are no accidents. The town is
filled with angels. The road to life has many turns, but God gives good
directions! I'll keep in touch as much as I can. Have to answer more
worried e-mails. Thanks for being a friend! Rhonda

I also received several emails
from Don Clariza (Gotom
Org) and my fellow Trustee and members of the Filipino American NationalHistorical
Society (FANHS) in support of Marina Espina and the Burtanog Sisters. Thelma Buchholdt,
the current FANHS president has already sent clothing, money, and salmon from Alaska.

Nestor Palugod Enriquez

Nestor Palugod Enriquez
http://www.filipinohome.comComing to America

Yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery.
Today is a gift,and that's
why we call it the present.